RadioandMusic
| 11 Oct 2024
Deadmau5 and Disney reach settlement over mouse head trademark battle

MUMBAI: After being locked in a legal battle for a little less than a year, Canadian DJ Deadmau5 and The Walt Disney Corporation have finally reached a settlement over the mouse head that the producer/DJ wears on stage.

Deadmau5, real name Joel Zimmerman, attempted to trademark the design of his stage head gear (black face and ears, and white eyes and mouth) last September, in order to use the logo on merchandise like “electronic equipment, entertainment services, BMX bikes”. However, Disney filed an official objection, claiming that the design is “nearly identical in appearance, connotation and overall commercial impression to Disney’s Mouse Ears” and “cause confusion”.

A lawyer for the DJ told the Hollywood Reporter that "Disney and Deadmau5 have amicably resolved their dispute". However, no details of the agreement have been revealed as yet.

The ‘Raise Your Weapon’ hitmaker took to his Twitter account to reveal the news.

Deadmau5, who has released seven studio albums, initially tried to register his logo with the US Patent and Trademark Office in 2013, and so far, he holds the design’s trademark in over 30 countries.

Prior to the legal dispute, Disney and the DJ collaborated on several projects. Last year, Deadmau5 even filed a cease and desist, demanding the entertainment giant stop using his track ‘Ghosts ‘n’ Stuff’ in a remix video that featured Disney’s Mickey Mouse.

More recently, the 34-year old progressive house music producer also filed a cease and desist order against the makers of ‘Deadmouse the Musical’, in Toronto, Canada. The musical is based on a mouse who wants to be a house DJ, and his life.